1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toothbrush for sulcular brushing and more particularly to a toothbrush which aids in the proper placement of the bristles by considering both the soft tissue anatomy and the dental and arch morphology in order to remove dental plaque adjacent to and directly beneath the gingival margin, open interproximal areas and exposed root surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,109, entitled Tooth Brush, issued to Beach D. Raymond on May 28, 1985, teaches a toothbrush which keeps the decayed teeth and gingival portion of a user in a hygienic and healthy condition. The toothbrush includes a grip portion of a shank which is to be held between the user's thumb and first finger with respect to his lower jaw and upper jaw. The shank is formed intermediate thereof in an opposedly inclined shape so as to enable him to cleanly brush his tooth especially cased with gold and also whole gingival surface area by a finger massage operation. The toothbrush is also constructed so the grip portion of the shank is provided rearwardly with projection for pressing against the gingival portion thereby enabling the user to preceive the seat of gingivitis at an earlier stage by feeling pain when the projection is applied to this gingival portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,552, entitled Toothbrushes, issued to Etienne Y. dArgembeau on Sept. 24, 1985, teaches a toothbrush the head of which has a circular or elliptical cross-section and carries at least one tuft of bristles. The width of the tuft of bristles substantially corresponds to the depth of the sulcular sulcus. The head of the toothbrush is joined to a handle which has a polygonal cross-section, preferably a square cross-section. The median longitudinal plane of the tuft of bristles advantageously forms an angle of less than 90.degree., preferably an angle of 45.degree., with the plane of at least one surface of the handle having a polygonal cross-section, which surface is turned towards the free end of the tuft of bristles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,541, entitled Toothbrush with Heat Shrunk Synthetic Filaments, issued to Joseph Jacob and Charles J. Love on Mar. 27, 1984, teaches a new method of dental plaque removal along with a structure of each bristle which enables the method to be used most efficiently. A filiment loop of contractible material such as polyprolylene is caused to shrink as it being attached to a base. The loop exhibits an extraordinary contraction wherein the loop is not merely reduced as expected, but by the same process it contracts into tightly adjacent filaments with a tight return loop. The resulting bristle not only solves the vexing problem of proper bristle polishing, but as an unexpected additional value, exhibits a greatly improved capability to actually scoop away tooth deposits such as plaque.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,701, entitled Toothbrush for Cleaning Sulcular Areas of the Teeth, issued to Roy E. Standford, Jr. on May 21, 1985, teaches a toothbrush which is specifically for cleaning the sulcular areas of the teeth below the gumline.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,111, entitled Toothbrush Having Series of Bristles of Different Height, issued to Paolo Cavazza on May 28, 1985, teaches a toothbrush which has its bristles grouped into tufts which are arranged in parallel rows of different heights.
Presently there is no one toothbrush which combines the features necessary for facilitating the sulcular method of brushing which removes plaque from the gingival sulcus and along the margin and the lower one third of the teeth. The removal of plaque from these areas is vital in controlling gingivitis and is indicated for those patients requiring periodontal rooting planing and curattage procedures and/or periodontal surgery. Due to potential recession of the gum tissue only a soft nylon brush with rounded filament bristles is advised. There are many toothbrushes with soft filament bristles along with other features recommended for the use of the sulcular method of brushing. However, many of these fail to consider both the soft tissue sulcular anatomy and the dental and arch morphology. Furthermore, the designs of their handles do not consider patient dexterity. One of the difficulties of the sulcular method of brushing is the proper placement of bristles to the gumline especially for those patients who have been using the roll or vertical method of brushing. The sulcular method of brushing requires that the filiments be placed at an angle of approximately 45.degree. with the long axis of the tooth so that bristle tips are directed straight into the gingival sulcus. It is recommended that the patient first place the toothbrush at an angle of 90.degree. and then make the final adjustment. The improved toothbrush has a handle which is not flat trim, but which incorporates 45.degree. concave angles so when the thumb and index finger grip the handle the bristles will be directed automatically into the gingival sulcus.
It would further be useful to design a toothbrush head which instead of being rectangular in shape is narrower at both heel and toe, being slightly more so at the toe. The narrow toe will allow for easy cleaning of the distal surface of the last tooth in the arch or for isolated teeth. The narrow heal will fit the lingual of the anterior teeth in both arches. This will be especially helpful for those with crowding and aid in ease of cleaning this area. This is a difficult area due to the anatomy of the arch and the tendency for excessive calculus build up.
The stiffness of a toothbrush is determined by the diameter of the nylon filament. The improved toothbrush contains only the softest bristles of the narrowest diameter. The center row will be 0.006 inch in diameter. The center row is the concentrated area for sulcus plaque removal and thus must be the softest possible. The remaining outer rows of bristles will be 0.007 inch in diameter, which is stil considered soft, but slightly larger, in order to aid in curability and longevity of a toothbrush. Using a stiffer toothbrush can lead to gum recession and tooth abrasion which are both irreversible problems.
Many toothbrushes on the market are supplied with a rubber tip stimulator. This ia a conical or tear-shaped flexable rubber tip. It can reshape tissue, increase firmness and stimulate circulation. A patient in need of a rubber tip stimulator should receive specific instructions because inasmuch as most patients do not know what the rubber tip stimulator is for and many times have been using it incorrectly and for the wrong reasons. The improved toothbrush will provide an area for the addition of a rubber tip stimulator to be recommended as seen indicated.